Broadcast Satellite Disney will offer free channel, Dlife, unspooling U.S. dramas and variety shows. It will serve as a test ground for up-front ad sales, which is common in the U.S. broadcasting biz but not in Japan, yet.

While Japanese terrestrial channels continue to struggle as auds depart for other media, satellite remains a growth area. Sky Perfect JSAT launched eight satellite channels in October and the subscriber total has already topped 360,000.